Liar

32

The front door slammed closed as I entered the kitchen, Emmett grumbling as he washed up the stuff from this morning, stacking them on my dish rack covered in suds. The water running and steam fogging up the window behind the sink.

"If you're gonna come over and wash up, you should do it more often."

"It's been 2 days since anyone heard from you Victoria. Your phone's off, Ash hasn't answered any texts, no one can get a hold of his dad. I thought you were fucking dead." He abruptly pulled the tea towel from the hanger, drying his hands and throwing it onto the counter where I'd been happily sat being fed pancakes 20 minutes ago. "Explain then!"

"Okay firstly, stop speaking to me like I'm a child who missed curfew. You don't get to come into my house and start screaming at me. I know this isn't on you, this is between me and dad so I won't be shouting at you and I expect the same from you." He crossed his arms. "Ash has gone out for coffees for us all so if there's anything that isn't about the fight with dad you want to talk about, now's your chance."

"Why were you wearing his clothes?"

"Because we're together."

"Together?"

"Yep." I pulled the stool out sitting down. "No point lying."

"How long?"

"We went out last night so not long. Like 13 hours or something."

"With Caswell?"

"Yes. Asher Caswell."

"Oh, dad is going to kill you."

"Let him try, none of his business who I'm in a relationship with. He wouldn't be happy unless it was Leon anyway." I rolled my eyes, Emmett seeming to relax a little. "We're exclusive. Before you start thinking it's nothing."

"You are in a relationship with someone exclusively?"

"Yep."

"Not possible."

"Even has the boyfriend label on it."

"Fuck off." His lips pulled up a little. "You do not have a boyfriend."

"I do."

"How'd you get there?" I sighed.

"Okay it's a long story so I'm gonna cut some of it out. I bumped into him at King's Cross one morning on my way to the office and we got talking, a little flirty but nothing major and I got off without thinking anything of it. Bumped into him again, same kind of thing and then the Friday we bumped into each other in the club and one thing led to another and I ended up back at his place, left him the next morning and he was pissed off because I told him I'd stay and I didn't. Monday comes around and I go to Caswell's turns out he's Marks son, I had a panic attack at Kenzie's office, avoided him for a few weeks until we ended up doing it again one Friday, I quit Caswell's, bumped into him at the gala, had another panic attack and I fainted, after you guys left the hospital he ended up still being there and we talked for ages, I cried. Like really really cried and ranted at him about all sorts and he just kind of dealt with it. He's been here since. Then Thursday we met up after I left the office, ranted at him about the whole dad and Leon thing, told him I don't want to get married for convenience and he laughed and asked me out and now we're here. Asher and Victoria's story dimmed down to 60 seconds." He stared at me, taking in the quick ramble I'd given him. I definitely hadn't done it justice but I didn't think telling my brother that Asher was addictive was exactly suitable. Nor would it change the story in anyway.

"I'm sorry. I'm still stuck on the boyfriend thing." I grabbed the towel, balling it up and throwing it back at him as he chuckled. "You haven't had a boyfriend since you were 18."